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(Updated 7:30
a.m., Dec. 16)
Hydro One
officials deliver update on local service improvements
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
It's been
exactly one year since a pair of blackouts left local Hydro One customers
shivering in the cold.
The first, on
Dec. 3, was caused by a defective conductor on the high voltage line which
runs through Orléans from the Ottawa River to the main transformer
station on Hawthorne Road. Some 12,000 resident were without hydro service
for up to eight hours.
The second power
outage happened two weeks later on Dec. 23 when a faulty regulator at the
Wilhaven Distribution Centre on O’Toole Road failed resulting in a
four hour interruption in service during the early morning hours.
When service
was restored, it caused a power surge that fried the electronics in a number
of furnaces which left some homes without heat for as long as two days.
While both of
the incidents were caused by unforeseen events, that fact didn’t ease
the frustration felt by the residents who crowded into the Orleans Client
Service Centre for a public meeting on March 17.
At the meeting,
residents were told that Hydro One was in the process of investing millions
of dollars in upgrading local infrastructure which would result in fewer
outrages and short interruptions.
At the time,
the Hydro One officials promised to hold a follow-up meeting in the fall
to give residents an update on the work that had been done.
That meeting
was held on Dec. 10 at the Orléans Legion. As an indication that
hydro service may no long up be a burning issue, only four people showed
up for the meeting.
Those people
who did show up heard that service disruptions are way down since last spring.
Since March 17
there have been nine unplanned power disruptions and 20 planned disruptions.
Three power outages in the area were caused by lightning strikes, affecting
19,000 customers for a duration not more than three minutes. Three additional
outrages were caused by equipment failures, the largest of which affected
2,160 for two hours and 15 minutes, and two smaller disruptions were caused
by motor vehicle accidents.
Finally, there
were 20 planned outrages to allow for equipment replacement and routine
maintenance. The planned outrages usually lasted less than two hours and
were scheduled to take place in the early morning hours.
Among the many
upgrades that have been made are an increase in capacity at both the Wilhaven
and Navan distribution centres and improvements in feeder reach and tie
capability which will enable Hydro One to switch to an alternate power supply
in the event of an unplanned outage.
To further improve
reliability, the hydro utility is the process of installing a “smart
source” automated monitoring system at the Wilhaven DS that will allow
technicians to restore service by remote control rather than having to drive
out to the site which takes time.
(This story
was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local
business partners.)
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